*This story is based on characters and events that were created by and are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.
Harry picked up his letters and reread them. Although these were the second letters he’d received from his friends, he hadn’t responded until now. He’d spent the last several weeks recovering from Dumbledore’s death and had finally come to the conclusion that he needed to start setting things in order. There was no telling how much time was left. There were things that needed saying and even more to be done.
Hermione was soon to be on her way to the Burrow to help with Bill and Fleur’s wedding preparations. Ron was getting a bit tired of all the giggling going on these days. Harry couldn’t help but to smile at the images Ron’s descriptions imprinted in his mind. He’d hoped that after spending the entire year fighting and being jealous, one of them would have finally opened up to the other, but it hadn’t happened. As much as he’d tried to stay uninvolved, he would hate for them to keep wasting time, like he had with Ginny. Just when he’d found happiness with her, it had to end. Ron and Hermione deserved better. Ginny did as well, but he could only hope to make it up to her some day.
With a sigh Harry opened the middle desk drawer and shuffled through the contents until he found some blank parchment, a quill and some ink.
Dear Hermione,
Sorry I haven’t written sooner. I have no excuse really. Just trying to sort out my mind. It hasn’t been too bad here. My aunt and uncle and cousin are pretty much doing their best to pretend I’m not here. I can’t say that I mind. Actually, I rather like it right now. I’ve had loads of time to collect my thoughts. I can’t say here what my plans will be (just in case), but planning has been a big part of what I’ve been doing. I’ve also been thinking lots about all that Dumbledore showed me. There’s so much I would have liked to talk to him about, but now it’s too late.
Anyway, I wrote to schedule my Apparition test next week on my birthday and I’ll see you the following day at the Burrow. I hope you’re doing well and staying safe. I also want you to know that you and Ron are the best friends I’ve ever had and I love you both. I wanted you to know that “ just in case.
Until next week,
Harry
He paused to re-read the letter a couple of times. Finally making another decision, he added:
P.S. I know it’s none of my business, but I think you should let Ron know how you feel about him. That is, if you still fancy him. It’s pretty obvious, but, well, you know Ron. It’s just “ you never know.
He composed a similar note to Ron adding a bit of chatter about how much he would miss Quidditch in the coming year and some admonitions not to make the giggling women angry. He gave both letters to Hedwig, and with a gentle nip at his finger, she took flight out of the window. Harry got up from the desk and went over to the trunk at the foot of his bed. He pulled out one of his books on silent spell casting and lay down to read.
Hermione Apparated into the living room of the Burrow and was greeted warmly by Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Ron. Ginny and her mom went back out into the garden to finish up some degnoming. Fleur and Bill were out making arrangements for Fleur’s family who would be arriving in a few days time, the same day as Charlie. Fred and George were at the shop, but had promised to come home for dinner.
“Are you going to be showing off, popping in and out of rooms, all the time now?” Ron grinned. “Because if you are, I won’t bother to offer to help carry your trunk upstairs.”
Hermione was unsure if he was being surly or if he was joking. Deciding finally that it was the latter, she replied, “No, I’m not quite fond of the sensation yet, so I only Apparate when I need to. I’d be happy to have a hand actually.” She wondered if he had received a letter from Harry, and if he did, what it might have said. She tried to act normal and took the lead up the stairs, carrying one side of the trunk as Ron grabbed the other. It was only after they’d gotten it stored by the wall in Ginny’s room that Ron realized they could have just waved it up the stairs.
“I haven’t gotten used to the idea that we can do magic out of school now,” he said sitting on Ginny’s bed and looking up at Hermione.
She took a seat almost diagonally from him on the opposite bed. “So how’s everyone getting on? How’s Ginny?” she asked conversationally, not quite able to hold eye contact with Ron without feeling a bit queasy. It felt as though her were staring at her, but she couldn’t decide if she wanted to know for sure.
After a pause he replied, “Er, Ginny, yeah, it’s er... hard to tell. She’s not moping around or crying or anything like that. But she has been quieter since you know...” he trailed off. Then he continued, “I thought of asking if he was sure about his decision, but then I figured that maybe they need to sort out their own mess.”
“Yes, that’s probably best. He seems different somehow after what happened in the tower. More focused, I suppose. Anyway, I hope they’ll sort it out when he gets here.”
There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments before Ron broke it.
“And anyway, we have our own mess to sort out, don’t we.”
Hermione didn’t raise her head, just whispered, “Yeah, I guess we do.”
Hermione suddenly became very aware of each part of her body. She could feel her muscles, her skin, even her fingernails. It had suddenly become very warm in the room, and she could hear her own heartbeat. Her breath became very shallow. She vaguely noticed a movement across from her and heard the bedsprings creak as Ron moved over to be directly across from her. She felt as if every part of her being was spring-loaded and was afraid to move for fear of bolting from the room. Her hands were gripping the bed sheets and her feet were firmly pressing into the rug beneath them. She heard Ron whisper her name and slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
Ron had noticed that Hermione went rigid immediately after his words. His hands went all clammy, and he started to think that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. What if she rejected him? What if Harry was wrong? He couldn’t stand to make a fool of himself in front of Hermione, not about this. Yet, the door that had been opened couldn’t be shut now. He stared at her for a moment wanting nothing more than to put his arms around her, but instead he whispered, “Hermione? Are you al...” He stopped as she slowly lifted her head to look at him. Frighteningly, she looked as if she were about to cry, but still her warm eyes melted him, and he found the courage to continue.
He cleared his throat and then peered straight into her eyes, but found that as soon as it came, his courage left him, and he couldn’t open his mouth to speak. Finally after an agonizing few moments, Hermione’s hands flew to hide her face, and she got up to leave. Startled from his paralysis, he quickly grabbed one hand to stop her. “Wait, please don’t go.” She stopped, but didn’t sit again and kept her face hidden with her other hand. Ron went on, “This is much harder than I imagined it.” He spoke softly as he gently drew her back toward the bed he was sitting on until she was sitting right next to him. Her nearness gave him a pleasant chill. “I think “ I hope “ we both know that something has changed between us over the past weeks.”
“Yes, I know,” she said barely above a whisper.
Heartened, he continued, “And as scary as it is right now,” he paused to lift her chin so that he could look into her eyes, “it feels, well, all right.”
She held his eyes and slowly nodded, still not daring to breathe. He couldn’t think of what else to say, how to convey his feelings without sounding like a complete git. He moved a little closer and noticed that she had shifted a little closer as well. Moving his hand to her cheek and then into her hair, her gently pulled her closer. Just as she was about to say “Ron” his lips found hers and lightly pressed against them. In the brief time that their lips finally connected, he felt an electricity move through his entire body. Hermione exhaled a sigh and leaned her forehead against his. He kissed her again, this time with a touch more confidence and let his lips linger, then crept his tongue out of his mouth to taste her lips. She received him timidly, but never once thought to pull away. Her hand found his waist and slid up his back, letting five years of pent up emotion guide her closer into his embrace. Heat flared between the two of them until they finally allowed their lips to separate, neither willing to release the other's body . They held each other tightly not wanting this moment that they, unbeknownst to each other, had waited for since the day that they had met.
Ron finally pulled back slightly, to touch Hermione’s face and drink in those beautiful chocolate eyes. He smiled sheepishly, “So does this mean you’ll be my date for the wedding, then?”
She grinned at up into his handsome face, happier than she could ever remember being, “Yes, I think you could assume that.”